Waalitj Marawar have made one change for Saturday’s Eagles vs Collingwood clash at the MCG, with Bo Allan coming into the side for the injured Jack Hutchinson. The 20-year-old will play his first game since round seven and his 14th in blue and gold after Hutchinson was ruled out with a hamstring strain suffered late in last weekend’s win over the Giants.
Hutchinson is expected to miss three-to-five weeks, leaving Allan to take his place in a match that starts at 2:35pm WST. Cooper Duff-Tytler, Tom Gross and Harry Schoenberg were named as emergencies as Waalitj Marawar locked in the team they will take into their meeting with Collingwood.
The selection also means a major night at the MCG for a group of Eagles players still learning the biggest stages. Nine will play their first AFL matches at the ground on Saturday, including Willem Duursma, Josh Lindsay, Jobe Shanahan, Hamish Davis, Harvey Johnston, Tom McCarthy, Malakai Champion and Milan Murdock.
Harley Reid is among the most watched of them all, with the young midfielder set for his 50th AFL game after a huge performance against GWS last round. He finished that win at Optus Stadium with 34 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals, and now walks into a marquee fixture against Collingwood with the milestone looming.
The changes are modest, but the setting is not. Waalitj Marawar have kept faith with almost the entire side that beat the Giants, and the only alteration comes from injury rather than form. That leaves Allan with a clear role and the rest of the group with a first look at the MCG under real pressure, on a day that will be available on Channel 7 and 7-plus in WA and on Fox Footy and Kayo nationally.
For Waalitj Marawar, the key detail is not just who is missing but how little has been disturbed before a trip that asks more of young players than most regular-season games. Allan gets his chance, Reid reaches his 50-game mark, and nine teammates step into the MCG for the first time with Collingwood waiting at the other end.
